Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Icheon

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Icheon: $1,614 and $1,595 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Icheon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Icheon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,595 in Icheon, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Icheon $1,595

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,043 in Icheon, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Icheon $2,043

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,491 in Icheon, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Icheon $2,491

Medellin costs about 1% more than Icheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Icheon sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Icheon by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$6.20 ₩8,238

27.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$48.38 ₩64.3K

-4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$6.62 ₩8,804

43.50%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.70 ₩4,924

-15.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.33 ₩1,774

37.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.17 ₩1,553

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.80 ₩5,052

-19.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.22 ₩5,607

30.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.23 ₩2,970

-34.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.27 ₩4,346

-27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.21 ₩4,263

-47.66%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.74 ₩3,650

4.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$10.97 ₩14.6K

-7.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$10.56 ₩14.0K

-9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$25.36 ₩33.7K

-44.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$11.33 ₩15.1K

-64.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.56 ₩4,731

-57.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$8.13 ₩10.8K

-73.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.90 ₩7,849

-60.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$6.05 ₩8,043

-68.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.38 ₩4,489

-51.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.74 ₩3,647

-58.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.28 ₩1,701

-2.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.29 ₩4,378

21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$18.65 ₩24.8K

-28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.44 ₩3,245

-30.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.42 ₩4,546

-30.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.10 ₩1,466

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.64 ₩4,836

-63.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.77 ₩1,028

177.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$16.77 ₩22.3K

-49.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.37 ₩1,821

-5.11%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$29.9K ₩39.8M

-6.47%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$33.4K ₩44.4M

6.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$172 COP 545.6K

$200 ₩265.3K

-13.75%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$36.02 ₩47.9K

-62.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$27.21 ₩36.2K

5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$22.45 ₩29.8K

101.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$11.28 ₩15.0K

-44.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$770 COP 2.4M

$642 ₩853.2K

20.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$22.1K ₩29.4M

-59.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$106 ₩141.3K

-18.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$65.5 ₩87.1K

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$93.9 ₩124.8K

45.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$129 ₩171.6K

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$748 ₩994.5K

41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$459 ₩609.7K

34.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,317 ₩3.1M

-71.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.9

180.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Icheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Icheon

$459 28.8% 25.5% $157

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Icheon

$488 30.6% 65.7% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Icheon

$263 16.5% 22.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Icheon

$178 11.1% 4.4% $7.5

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Icheon

$151 9.5% 10.1% $17

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Icheon

$12 * 0.8% 87.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Icheon

$45 2.8% 22.1% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $748 in Icheon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 255% higher in Icheon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $48.00 in Icheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $488 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇷 Icheon

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

213,059

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Icheon 14,610 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Icheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,393 in Icheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Icheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $48.00 in Icheon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 66% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Icheon, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Icheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Icheon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Icheon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.